COTTON. 195 



nature to herself, and no longer disturb the soil ; four hoe- 

 ings if well done, and the grass well well picked at each 

 hoeing, is enough ; nor does any aftergrowth of grass do 

 injury. 



"MANURES AND SOILING STOCK. For ten years past, great 

 efforts have been made by the Sea-Island planters, in ma- 

 nuring. Much of the alluvion of our suit rivers have been 

 collected, and sometimes placed directly in heaps through 

 the fields at rest, at other times placed in cattle-pens, on 

 which cotton-seed, and all waste materials are strewn, and 

 the cattle pounded up on it. But what is preferred, is to pen 

 our cattle near the river at night, and cut salt-grass, which 

 covers these alluvion lands, and which is as nutritious as so 

 much clover. Great benefits will result from the use of 

 marl, I have no doubt, hereafter. 



" AMOUNT OF CROP PER ACRE AND PICKING. It has been 

 stated already, that 500 Ibs. to the acre is about the medium 

 crop, which at 20 cents per lb., (more than the actual price 

 for the last three years,) is to the planter $100 for gross 

 crop ; and from this hundred dollars is to be subtracted bag- 

 ging, freight, expenses of sale, clothing for his people, 

 medical attention, and too often provisions." - 



THE VARIETIES which have been cultivated with success 

 in the United States, in addition to those enumerated, are 

 the Rio, with a staple about three inches in length of a 

 glossy, silky texture, brought from South America; the 

 Egyptian, received from the garden of Mehemet Ali and 

 grown in Louisiana 15 feet in height ; the Mastodon, lately 

 introduced from Mexico, firm in texture and highly produc- 

 tive ; tlie Chinese Silk Cotton, white, soft, fine and silky ; the 

 East India, growing to a height of 14 feet and producing a 

 beautiful fibre ; and tJie Nankeen, a handsome staple of a 

 true nankeen color, raised by the late Hon. John Forsyth 

 of Georgia, and some other planters. 



COTTON SEED. The amount of seed in cotton is large, 

 being nearly 70 per cent, of the entire gathering, the fibre 

 being about 28. This is used for various purposes. Some- 

 times it is pressed for its oil, of which it yields from 15 to 20 

 per cent, of its own weight. When thus treated, the cake 

 is used for cattle food. The seed is frequently though impro- 

 perly fed raw to stock, and this often proves fatal espe- 

 cially to swine, besides being attended with much waste. It 

 is most advantageously prepared by boiling for half an hour, 



